Wednesday, November 26, 2008

The (Smiling) Happy Horse of Red Horse Beer!

I thought it was all wild talk when I first heard about it: the smiling/happy horse of the local Red Horse beer. But I encountered David, a tourist from Germany who I met in Manila telling me about that particular happy horse again, which he said he saw in Palawan during his visit there. That encounter was in August 2008.

Then in October (2008), two months after, I visited the Callao cave in Peñablanca, Cagayan for the second time. We stayed at the government-run Callao Resort. We ordered beer, and lo and behold, there it was: the red horse beer bottle with the smiling horse on it! We all quickly took turns inspecting it and found that the red horse bottle with the happy horse image had a red print for its text. And instead of the words "Experience that distinctive full-flavored taste and extra satisfying strength of a world-class premium strong beer," it merely states "FOR THAT DISTINCT FULL-FLAVORED TASTE" written in all capital texts. And where the regular Red Horse image had sharper features, the happy Red Horse image is plumpier, and its mane, a mere series of lines. I was told by my beer buddies that night that there is one such bottle of happy horse for every dozen of such beers. They said the bottle with the smiling red horse image also has the strongest brew, hence it makes you happier, too, at the quickest time. Hmm. I drank it but I did not experience any difference in both taste and effect. Oh well, at least I have photos here as proof of that encounter with the Happy Horse. Yes, it is not a story full of horsesh_t, after all. Hehe :)

From the Chrysalis

"For thoughts and things, and their airy wings
Are swifter than carrier doves.
They follow the law of the universe
Each thing must create its kind
And they speed o'er the track to bring you back
Whatever went out from your mind."
-Ella Wheeler Wilcox

PAPILIO

["You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough."-Mae West]

Who Am I?

("Who looks outside, dreams;
who looks inside, awakes."-Carl Jung.)
Reinerio Alba is a Filipino writer from the Philippines, basically, who is happily creating and manifesting the best things in his life right now. "I believe that we can always re-cast our realities into better ones, by willing them. I believe that without passion, life is not what it is. I subscribe to the idea that everyone is in a sort of process and that we should always aim for our highest possible self. Always. ( I am also a sucker for synchronized swimming, who wouldn't be? hehehe)
People I'd like to meet?
I am drawn to people with a passion, people with a great, natural sense of humor, who are not pretentious, and who always keep a sense of wonder about the world around them. If they can cook and sing, or sing and cook, that would be fab! :)"